Sheriff to close investigation into Lee County shooting

MACEDONIA COMMUNITY – The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is closing its investigation into Tuesday’s discovery of three dead bodies in the Macedonia community after comparing his investigation to autopsy results.
“Looking at the findings of the autopsy and the findings of this investigation, we’re going to close this case,” Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said.
Wiley Young, 55, killed himself, according to autopsy results reported by Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green. The autopsy showed the two women found in the 113 County Road 49 home with him, Destiny McCord, 13, and Danica McCord, 46, were victims of homicide.
The results came as a shock to Young’s first cousin, Patty Young, who said those close to Wiley Young knew a different person.
“Until someone proves to me what happened, I will never believe that he shot either one of them,” she said. “They can say what the evidence shows but none of us could believe he would do this. It’s so out of character that it’s unreal.”
She reiterated what Young’s pastor, Mark Bishop of Victory Church in New Albany, said about him being a caring man.
“No matter where he was, like brother Mark said, he would come and speak to you and talk about the love of his children, family and God,” Patty Young said.
The last time anyone saw the three in public was Sunday at Victory Church. Johnson said they recovered cellphones that showed someone in the house communicated with someone outside the house as late as 7 p.m. Sunday. He didn’t specify if the communication was through a call or text messages. After that they weren’t heard from again.
Johnson said friends and family reported trying to reach the three Monday without any luck. Young’s son, a Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks game warden, found the three Tuesday morning when he went to check on his father.
Young lived in home where the bodies were found with the two McCords. The house belonged to Danica McCord.
Johnson said his office has never had trouble with Young in the past and the last time they were called to that home was for an unrelated medical call.
He said the narrative of the final hours could later unfold as a more in-depth autopsy is performed but said there were no immediately visible markings on the bodies besides the gunshot wounds.
Funeral arrangements for the McCords have been made for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Saltillo Chapel of the W.E. Pegues Funeral Home.
jb.clark@journalinc.com